Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's centrist Kadima party would plummet into third place behind Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and another right wing faction if elections were held, a poll showed today.
Mr Olmert's popularity has collapsed in the aftermath of a 34-day conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, amid widespread criticism of the government's handling of the crisis.
The survey in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper showed Likud would get 22 seats - up from 12 - in Israel's 120-member parliament, with Kadima beaten into third place with only 15 seats compared to the 29 it won in March elections.
Kadima would slip behind the rightist immigrant party Yisrael Beitenu, whose share would rise to 20 seats from 11.
Kadima's centre-left coalition partner, Labour, would also drop to 15 seats from 19.
Kadima was founded by former premier Ariel Sharon less than a year ago to reshape Israel's presence in the occupied West Bank and try to impose a final border with the Palestinians as a way to break from decades of conflict.
Under Mr Olmert, Kadima swept aside the long dominant Likud, in what was regarded as a seismic shift in Israeli politics. But polls indicate a big swing back to the right since the Lebanon conflict and particularly towards Mr Netanyahu, a former prime minister seen as having stronger military credentials than Mr Olmert.
A poll last month showed Mr Olmert's approval ratings had sunk to 22 per cent from 48 per cent six months earlier. Support Mr for Netanyahu rose to 59 per cent.
Mr Olmert has rebuffed calls for a state inquiry into Israel's incursion into Lebanon, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Lebanese and 157 Israelis.
To avoid a possible early election, Mr Olmert has begun moves to broaden his government. He is negotiating with Yisrael Beitenu's leader Avigdor Lieberman to try to get the faction to join his coalition.
Labour party chief and defence minister Amir Peretz is opposed to bringing in a faction, which takes a very hard line on the conflict with the Palestinians.